Three books guaranteed to make downsizing a breeze

On move-in day decades ago, that new house felt quite spacious and left you wondering how you’d ever fill it with furniture. Now, you’ve raised a family of rambunctious teenagers (that at times made you feel like the house may burst at the seams) and hosted countless holiday dinners overflowing with memories.

As you consider moving into a smaller space and find yourself surveying the years of memories and accumulated knickknacks and decorations, where do you start? Here are three books to peruse before you tackle downsizing.

Downsizing The Family Home: What to Save, What to Let Go

In AARP’s Downsizing The Family Home: What to Save, What to Let Go, national home columnist Marni Jameson uses her journey of helping move her parents from a large home to a senior living apartment as a guide to help readers figure out a downsizing strategy. Recognizing that letting go of your possessions is an emotional process, Jameson urges downsizers to focus on the precious belongings they’re choosing to keep rather than the ones they’re letting go.

Jameson also adds insights from experts, such as antique appraisers, professional organizers and psychologists. On a practical note, she advises checking market prices for items on websites like eBay and Craigslist to check the market value of the belongings you want to hang on to. For a sense of what this book offers, check out Jameson’s tips on repurposing meaningful belongings like wedding dresses, books and musical instruments.

A senior move manager, Dellaquila has written a companion piece, The Moving Workbook, which is filled with forms to help track the details of a move. It includes a checklist of rooms to downsize, a form for mover information, a place to keep track of charities and a furniture placement floor plan grid.

Scaling Down offers concrete strategies for tasks like organizing beloved photographs, filing important papers, and buying, selecting and organizing a wardrobe. As well, this sensitively written book delves into the reasons people hold on to their beloved things, offering ways to deal with emotional roadblocks. The authors, decluttering expert Judi Culbertson and Marj Decker, a specialist in helping people downsize, also give advice to family members and loved ones who are helping their parents move into a senior living community.